Coupling



Jan. 9, 1923w 1,441,200 whoa-Paauw ORIGINAL FvLED FEB. 3x 1920.

,7A ZZ 76 19 22 Z8 76 l f/ lHlllw 74 gum/nto@ Patented dan. 9, 1923.

STATES g 1,441,2n PATENT: oFFic-E.

' lWILLIAM G. ALLAN, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

COUIPLING.

Application filed February 3, 1920, Serial No. 355,990. Renewed April 29, 1922. Serial No. 557,425.

To all fw tom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. ALLAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residving at Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

This invention relates to couplings, and particularly to ol'take or intake tubes for electrolytic cells and means for coupling theml to. and insulating them from the cell frame; but some features of the invention are of general application as coupling means for tubes and pipes, and are not necessarily limited yto use in an electrolytic apparatus.

ln the production of gases by the electrolysis of an electrolyte as, for example, in producing oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolysis of water, an electrolytic apparatus may be employed, such for example, as the general type shown in my copending application Casev A Ser. No. 355987 filed herewith.

ln the operation of such electrolytic apparatus the gaseous products of the electrolysis are removed through suitable o'tal-:e pipes from the Zone of action and from the cell as they are formed, accompanied or not by electrolyte. Similarly, intake pipes are pro-- vided for supplying electrolyte to the cells. lt is important that the intake and oiftake pipes be electrically insulated from the cell frames and also from ground. lt is also frequently important that these tubes 'or conduits shall be of small diameter or cross section because of the small width of the anode and cathode chambers into or from which they lead; and the connections of such conduits to the cell frame should therefore occupy little space and should be readily disconnectable from thecall frame to permit the removal, inspection and replacement of parts of the apparatus.

Accordingly, a. principal object of this invention is to provide means whereby an oil"- take or intake tube, especially a tube of small cross sectional area, may be coupled to a cell frame in such manner as to be readily attachable and detachable and at the same time to provide an insulated and Huid-tight joint with the cell frame. Another' object of this invention is to provide coupling means of the character described that shall be inexpensive to manufacture, simple and compact in construction, eli'ective in operation. These and otherA obiects and the novel features of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings which illustrate an ad-k vantageous embodiment of this invention, and in Which,-

Fig. l is aI vertical sectional view taken through an oii'talte tube 'of an electrolytic apparatus, embodying' the coupling means of the present invention and showing a portion of a cell frame to which the tube is coupled; and

Fig; 2 is a view in elevation of the offtake tube, showing sectionally the cell frame to which it is attached.

Referring to the, drawings, 10 designates a portion of a cell frame of an electrolytic apparatus that may contain one cell or anydesired number of cells, lfor the electrolysis of an electrolyte. F or purposes of further lllustration and a more complete description of one type of electrolytic apparatus in which the coupling means of this invention may be employed, reference may be had to my copending application aforesaid. However, it will be understood that while the invention is particlularly well adapted for use in connection with electrolytic apparatus, as previously stated, various features, such as the coupling means, may be of general application in other connections, as for example in ysecuring a tubular or non-.tubular member or rod to an apertured plate or frame member.

lThe frame member l0 may4 have one or more passages or bores ll extending therethrough, those at the top of the frame meniber being designed to receive the oiftake tubes, and those at the bottom of the frame member being designed to receive the intake tubes. The oii'take tube here illustrated as embodying my invention comprises a metal tube l2, which in this particular instance is. of comparatively small exterior cross sectional area or diameter extending through passage 11, and has a head 13 at its inner end which provides an abutment shoulder '14 adapted to serve as a bearing surface when the tube is coupled to the cellframe 10. The tube 12 is of substantially uniform external diameterand extends a considerable distance outside the cell frame member 10` for a purpose which will appear pres--y ently.

able conduit 15 which should be non-conducting. Flexible rubber tubing is suitable for this purpose, and is employed in the specified construction here illustrated; but the conduit 15 may be of any other suitable insulating material such as hard rubber, bakelite, glass, or the like for example. In the present example, the rubber tubing fits over the upper or outer end of the tube and covers the entire length of the tube to the head 13, thus insulating it from the cell frame. In the illustrated construction, the tube 12 and its head 13 are further insulated from the cell frame by insulation 16 which extends around the sides and bottom of the cell frame member 10, thus separating the shoulder 14 and the washer 17 against which the said shoulder bears from the cell frame.

In order to prevent leakage of gas or electrolyte through the passage 11 or between the walls of the tubes 12 and 15, I have provided suitable means for tightly clamping the rubber tube 15 to the rigid metal tube 12 and for drawing the shoulder 14 of the metal tube securely against the inner side of the cell frame member 10, thereby providing fluid-tight joints at all points where leakage might occur in the coupling. In carrying out the present invention, the coupling member is arranged to compress the rubber tube tightly against the metal tube tofrictionally and securely connect these parts. By the same means a the telescopica y connected tubes may be drawn in an axial direction until the shoulder 14 on the metal tube limits the further movement of the connected tubes and parts. I have illustrated a particularly effective and desirable means for accomplishing this purpose. but it will be understood that other suitable arrangements may be employed within the scope of the invention to attain the results desired.

In the device here disclosed,I employ acompressible sleeve 18, most desirably formed of or internally surfaced with copper, which surrounds a substantial length of the telescopically arranged tubes 12 and 15 where they extend outside of the cell. Contacting surfaces of vulcanized rubber and copper tend to cohere tenaciously after a time, especially after being subjected to heat, due to the cementing action of the intervening film of copper sulfid that is formed. The sleeve 18 may be split longitudinally as at 18a, and is preferably provided with a suitable gripping surface, here shown as afforded by indentations or grooves 19 in its inner wall into which the adjacent soft rubber tubing may be pressed when the sleeve 18 is comigrip is also formed whereby menace pressed tightly around the telescopically arranged tubes 12 and 15, so that tlie sleeve 18 will more firmly grip the rubber tube. Such indentations may however be omitted where the friction between the arts is suflicient to provide a firm grip. uitable means for compressing the sleeve 18 are here shown as comprising a nipple 20 advantageously of steel that has al wrench head 21 intermediate its ends and is threaded above and below such head as at 22 and 23. The upper threaded portion 22 is adjustable in diameter, and to this end may be split longitudinally of the nipple and transversely of the threads at a number of points, as illustrated at l24, to render this portion of the nipple resilient so that the several parts of the threaded portion 22 may be sprung together slightly to compress the sleeve' 18 and to grip it. For purposes of illustration, and on account of advantages in the way of simplicity in manufacturing, there are four slits 24 in the ni-pple shown` but this number may of course be varied. Suitable means are provided for compressing the threaded gripping part 22, and to accomplish this purpose I have herein shown an effective and simple means which consists of a nut 25, provided withan internal thread 26, that tapers a sufficient amount to cause the sections of the threaded 'part 22 to be pressed inwardly when the nut is turned down, thereby compressing the sleeve 18 and forming a fluidtight joint between the tubes 12 and 15, be-l sidesensuring a firm grip between the sleeve 18, nipple 20, and the two tubes that resists relative movement ef these parts.

The necessary movement to draw the shoulder 14 and washer 17 into fluid-tight engagement with each other and With the inside rubber lining of the cellV frame 10 may be obtained by various means. As herein shown, this result is advantageously obtained by means of a thrust member in the form of an internally threaded nut 27 which fits the threaded lower end 23 of the nipple and 1s adapted to exert a thrust against the upper edge .of the cell frame 10. The nut 12 may bear directly against the top end of the cell frame or, as in the arrangement illustrated, it may bear against a metal spacer 28 which surrounds the telescopic tubes and bears against the upper side of the cell frame. After the nut 25 has been turned down to provide the necessary grip between the sleeves and the' telescoping tubes, the lower nut 27 may be turned so astoy back it away from the Wrench head 21 and against the spacer 28, thereby drawing the head of the tube 12 and the wash\er17 against the inside lining of the cell frame, the head 21 being held by a wrench. if necessary, durinothis operation. c

)Vhile I have shown and described in detail an especially desirable form of improved coupling and tube Within the invention, itis to be understood that various features thereof may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention..

i/Vhat claim is:

1. The combination with an apertured member, of tubular means having a portion of substantially uniform external diameter projecting through .the aperture in said member, tubular insulating means telescopically fitting such projecting portion of the first-named tubular means and insulating the same from said member, and means for securing said tubular means to each other and to said apertured member.

2. The combination with an apertured member, of a tubular member having a portion of substantially uniform-.external diameter projecting through the aperture in said member, a non-metallic insulating tube telescopically fitting such projecting portion of said tubular member and insulating the same from the Wall of such aperture, and.

means whereby said tubular member and non-metallic `tube are clamped@ together and to said apertured member.

3. The combination of a metal cell traine member having a passage therethrough, of a metal tube projecting through said passage, a rubber tube telescopically fitting said metal tube and insulating the same from the Wall oi said passage, and reieasable means for clamping said tubes together and to said trame member to provide an insulated, fluid tight connection between said trame member and tubes.

4i. in a coupiing construction of the character described, the combination With a tube having abutment means, ci" a threaded tubular member embracing said tube and having` a ccm-pressible clamping portion, a nut-on said member fer compressing said clamping ortion and a thrust nut coo eratino with 7 b said tubular member lto force said abutment means against conduit means to Which said tube is to be coupled.

5. The combination with a member having a passage therethrough, of a member projecting through said passage, and means j tor coupling the second-named member to the first-named member comprising nipple means having threaded portions at opposite ends, thv threaded portion at one end being provided With compressible gripping means, means cooperating with such compressible gripping means to frictionally secure said nipple to said second member, and means cooperating with said first member and the other threaded portion of said nipple to couple the members together.

6. The combination with a member having a passage therethrough, of a member projecting through said passage and means for coupling the second-named member toV the first-named member comprising sleeve means having a. threaded portion at one end slotted transversely of theathreads yto provide adjustable gripping means, tapering threaded means adapted to cooperate With said slotted threaded portion to compress said adjustable gripping means, and means cooperating with the other end of the sleeve means to couple said members together.

7. The combination with a frame member having a passage therethrough, of, a member projecting through said passa e and means for coupling thesecond-name member`to said frame member comprising a nipple having threaded portions at opposite ends thereof, the threaded portion at one end being slotted transversely of the threads to provide compressible gripping means, tapering threaded means adapted to cooperate With said slotted threaded portion to compress said gripping means, and means cooperating with the other threaded portion ot' the sleeve and said trame member to couple said members together.

8. The combination with a frame member having a passage therethrough, of tubular means projecting through said passage and means t'cr coupling said tubular means to said trame member, comprising a nipple having threaded portions at opposite ends thereof, the threaded portion at one end being slotted transversely of the threads to provide resilient gripping means, a nut having a tapering threaded opening adapted to cooperate with said resilient gripping means to compress the same inwardly tcward said tubulai` means, and means cooperating With the other threaded portion oit the nipple te exert a thrust against said frame member.'

9. rlhe combinaticn with a metal member having a passage therethrough, of a metal tube projecting through said passage, a tube of yieldable insulating material telescopically fitting the portion of said tube in said passage to insulate said metal tube -from said metal member, said tube et yieldable material also telescopically enclosing the projecting portion ot said metal tube, and means for coupling said tubes together and to said metal member, comprising a nipple having threaded portions at opposite ends thereof, the threaded part at one end comprising portions compressible inwardly to provide gripping means, means cooperating With such gripping means to compress the saine and said tube of yieldable material against sa-id metal tube, and means cooperating With the other threaded portion of said nipple to couple said tubes to said metal member.

10. The combination with a frame member having a passage therethrough, of tubular means projecting through said passage, and means for coupling said tubular means to said frame member, comprising a sleeve of relatively soft metal disposed aboutfa portion of said tubular means, a nipple having threaded portions at opposite ends thereof, the threaded portion at one end comprising resilient gripping means surrounding said sleeves, means co-operat-` ing with said resilient means to compress the same and said sleeve inwardly, and means co-operating with the other threaded portion of the nipple and said frame to couple said tubular means to said frame member.

1l. In an electrolytic apparatus, the combination with a cell frame member having a covering of insulating material thereon and a passage therethrough, of a rigid metal tube projecting through said passage and having a head forming a shoulder at one end, a Washer between said shoulder and the covering of said frame member, a rubber tube telescopically enclosing said metal tube, terminating at said shoulder and insulating said metal tube from the wall of said passage, and means 0n one side of said frame member co-operating with said shoulder and washer on the other side of said frame member to providea fluid tight joint between said tube and frame member and to couple the same together, such means comprising a compressible sleeve disposed around contiguous portions of said tubes and adapted to .grip said rubber tube, a nipple surroundlng said sleeve and havingthreadedportions at opposite ends and a wrench head intermediate such threaded portions, the

threaded portion of the nipple lmore remote from said frame having slots extendin transversely of its threads forming resiltient grlppin fingers, a nut having a tapering threa ed opening adapted to cooperate with said reslient gripping ngers to compress the same inwardly against said sleeve to compress theA soft rubber tubing against the rigid metal tube, a spacer be- -tween the other end of said nipple and said frame member, anda nut cooperating with the other threaded end of said nipple and with said spacer and frame member to draw said shoulder and washer against the opposite side of said frame member and couple said tubes tothe frame member to produce fing compressible, and nuts working on said threaded end portions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

WILLIAM G. ALLAN. 

